Tag Archives: Vaughan Williams

The Sea Symphony (1): Basingstoke and London

The first two of Bristol (+ Gloucester) Choral Society’s three outings with the Philharmonia Orchestra, John Wilson and the Sea Symphony were to the Anvil, Basingstoke, and to the Royal Festival Hall, where we were joined by Philharmonia Voices. I’ll … Continue reading

Posted in singing in concerts | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You know you’ve just sung the Sea Symphony when…

… you cannot see the ‘Following’ button on Twitter without hearing the end of the Scherzo.

Posted in category-defying | Tagged | Leave a comment

Frank Martin in St Edmundsbury

It is a long time since I’ve been to St Edmundsbury Cathedral. In the meantime it’s sprouted a tower, accommodated a visitor centre and joined the trend for installing lifts (rather better integrated with the building than York Minster’s). It … Continue reading

Posted in singing at services | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Bristol Connection

The final concert of Bristol Choral Society’s season, in the Cathedral, was largely music connected to Bristol. (Incidentally I had my triennial audition, and can continue to sing.) Bristol does not feature very largely on the map of British composers. … Continue reading

Posted in singing in concerts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eastern European brass lives!

Some of my family went to see distinguished visitors to Colston Hall – the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek. Josef Špaček was the soloist in two works – Mendelssohn’s violin concerto and that local favourite The Lark Ascending. I … Continue reading

Posted in going to concerts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toward the Unknown Region

This piece was only a name to me until I signed up for Bristol Choral Society’s Come and Sing, which this year featured the music of Vaughan Williams. It’s a ‘song’ for choir in a genre which has now gone … Continue reading

Posted in singing - other | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten favourite anthems

I’ve been invited to name my ten favourite anthems. Like most people I can’t come up with a definitive list, though I think half of the following would be on any list of mine. I have excluded liturgical settings, even … Continue reading

Posted in repertoire | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

See Australia!

Some of us in the Erleigh Cantors felt that Tourism Australia should have sponsored our concert at St. Peter’s Earley, because of its potential for subliminal advertising. One piece we performed was Bob Chilcott’s setting of the Ave Maris Stella … Continue reading

Posted in singing in concerts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

aunts and uncles

#earley The Erleigh Cantors’ concert in St. Peter’s Earley (a new venue for us) had a dual theme of Venice and Shakespeare, though we didn’t actually sing anything connected to The Merchant of Venice. The first half was Venetian, and … Continue reading

Posted in singing in concerts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reincarnations

I went to hear the Clothworkers Consort of Leeds (formerly the Leeds University Liturgical Choir) singing a concert in Christ Church Bath during their residency at Bath Abbey. The most notable feature of the concert was the large number of … Continue reading

Posted in going to concerts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment